Locomotive-stoker



N. M. LowER.

LOCOMOTIVE STOKER.

APPLICATION FlLED AUG. 19. 1915.

Pana Feb. 15,1921.

-3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FIGS

FIS-1 O WITNESSES [UNITED sTATEs PATENT oFF1c,.

NATHAN m. Lownn, or scHENEO'rADY, NEW YORK, AssIGNOR T LOCO'MOTIVE s'roxna COMPANY, Or HT'rsBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION O1' PENNSYLVNIA.

LOCOMOTIVE-STOKER.

Specification Of Letters Patent. Patented Feb 15, 192i.

apinication filea August 19, 1915. serial No. 46,836.l

' ,a new'and useful Improvement in Locomodetail hereinafter.

tive-Stokers,'of which the following is a specification. 1 i i This invention relates to 'fuel distributing `v 'nechanism, and particularly to mechanism ;for distributing fuel over the fire in a furnace fire box. While applicable to all types of furnaces, such as stationary installations, marine boiler furnaces or other power plants,

the invention is more particularly designed for use in connection with stoker mechanism for railway locomotives, and forpurposes of illu'strati'on -has been so shown in the drawings.

One object of theinvntion is to provide improved .mechanism for distributing the fuel in varying proportions over different parts of the fire 'box to produce a uniform combustion 'therein and secure an even fire and the production of the maximum number' of heat units from the fuel. A further object of the invention is to provide fuel distributing mechanism which enables the fuel to be delivered at the sides and back of the fire as readily and effectively as in front of the firing opening, and which can be regulated while Operating in order to Vary the rate of feed of fuel to the different parts of the fire. A further object of the invention -is to provide fuel distributing mechanism which can be utilized in connection with an automatic stoker for 'transferring the fuel from a source ofsupply to the fire box and introducing thesame thereinto, and which is so arranged that the distribution of the fuel is controlled in accordance With the rate of transfer of the fuel from the source of supply to the fire box. f

Further objects of the 'invention are in part obvious and in part will appearmore in In the vaccompanyi'ng drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a fuel distribu'ting device embodyingthe invention; A1j`ig:.-''2 is a horizontal section, on a larger Scale, on the line\2-2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is al cross section on the line 3-3, Fig. 2; Fig. 4, is a cross section on the line4-4, Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view On the line -5, F1g. 1; Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation, showing a portlon of one form of automatic locomotive stoker mechanism to which the inventlon may be applied; Fig. 7l'is a sectional elevation thereof onthe line 7747, Figu- 6; Fig. 8 is a cross section, on 'a larger Scale, on the line 8-8, F ig. 7 F ig. '9 is a detail view, partly in elevation and partlylv in transverse section, showing the Operating mechanism for a different type of automatic stoker mechanism; F ig. 10 is a longitudinal section through the power cylinder therefor, illustratng the control of the fueldistribut- 111g device by the cylinder; and Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic view, illustrating the distribution of the fuel in the fire box. V

In most of its features the fuel distributthe wall 3' of the fire box 4. .The outer end of the casing 1 is closed by a detachable head 5, and said casing is also provided at its top with a fuel inlet 6 communicatingpwitha source of supply of the fuel, as will more fully hereinafter appear, said inlet having a detar'hable cover or door v7 to enable fuel .to be fed to 'the fueldistributing device by hand whenever desired, and to also give ac'- cess to the interior parts for repairs or replacement if desired- In the casing 1 is slid'ably mounted a hollow piston, shown as embodyinga head 8 provided with an inwardly extending scoop. or shovel .8a on which the fuel is delivered from the'inlet 6,

tachable head 5. w The head 10 and the inner Wall of the casing 1 are provided with packings 12 closely fitting the inner and outer surfaces of the 'tubular member 9, and said member' at its Outer end is provided with a stroke to cushion the follower head 13 having an annular portion,

of the casing 1,. The inner end of tube 11 has a close bearingagainst the outer face of.

the head 8, so that pressure is 'confined against va' limited area atthecenter of the p1ston, tol 'start the'piston stroke,but as soon as thepiston has moved forward slightly,

.the fluid pressure is adinitted to a largerarea on the outer face of the said piston,

.where'upon said piston is moved forwardly with a Sudden impulse to the end of its stroke, or until the follower head `13. reachesthe =cushioning space 14. The passage 15,

. the hollow space in the head 5, and the space within the tube 11 -form in elfecta reservoir in immediate proximity tq the piston or plunger, so that, as soon as the piston begins to move, the expansive 'power of the fluid pressure in this reservoir: produces a very rapid movement of the piston.v The piston is returned'preferably by spring pressure, such' as by the tension of a spiral spring 16 ,attached at one end to the rear to anut 17 on a threaded bolt 18 having a head lyin outside of the deta'chable casmg head 5. y adjustingthe bolt 18 the nut 17 may bel moved in or out to vary the tension of the piston retracting spring 16.-

The sliding piston is also provided with means for scattering or distributing the fuel 'thereon laterally in the furnace fire box.

As shown, it is provided With two curved wings or vanes 20 provided with'laterally extending arms 22 and pivoted -on short vertical stub 'shafts 21 carried by the scoo or shovel 8.4 In the retracted position o the piston and shovel, as shown in Figs. 1 and`2,

the Wings or' vanes 20 lie near the center line of the shovel, sothat the -fuel is delivered to said shovel outside of the vanes. "When 'the piston moves inwardly and is near the end of its stroke the arms 22 engage suitable' abutments on the side walls of the casing 1,'

so that further inward movement of the piston causes the vanes 20 to' swing outwardly,

' as shown in dotted-lines, Fig. 2, adthereby throw the fuel' to .one or both sides of the fire according to whether one 'or more vanes are provided.. In'the form shown the arms' 22trave1 in slots 23a in side walls'8h on the scoop or shovel 8a; and the slots or grooves 23 in the side walls of the casing and en age shoulders 24-.f'ormed .by the inner en s of said slots. On the rearward movement of the pistonthe wings or vanes are returned piston lagainst shock central portion of the scoop or shovel 9 is provided with a fluid pressure conduit com- -prising a' longitudinally extending hollow rib or boss 25",'the bore .or channel i-n which w communicates with a cross passage 26 at the inner end of the shovel. vThe outer end of' the longitudinallpassage is enlarged to pro- .'vide a chamber 27 in which is located a sliding valve member 28 normally held against -a' seat 29 by a compression spring 30 Said valve is smaller in diameter than the chamber 27 and is guided therein by outw-ardly `ext'ending wings 30a. During the forward mvement of the piston the pressure efi'ective'thereon is unable to unseat the valve 28 due to the pressure of the spiral spring 30,-

but when the piston reaches its inner limit of travel the pressure builds up and unseats said valve, thus producin a-ru'sh of pressure through the hollow ri 25 and forming cross passage 26. These jets blow the fuel laterally in the fire box and assist in distributing-the same. i

As Will be more piston may be so controlled as to produce light and heavy` piston strokes, the light strokes for deliveringthe fuel near the front of-the fire box -and the heavy strokes for delivering it near the back. For'examjets of fluid pressure at the open ends of the t.

v fully hereinafter d'escribed, the fluid pressure for ,Operating the face of the piston head and at its other end ple, referring to Fig. 11, the lines A, B, C o

and D ,illustrate'the travel of the fuel on a heavy stroke, most of it falling near the back-;ef the fire boxz and the Sudden actionof thevanes throwing it well out toward the sides. The lines E, F, G and H illustrate the distributionon alight stroke of the piston, most of. the fuel falling near the front of the fire box and not so far to its sides, due to the fact that the wings or vanes' receive a lighter impulse and dol not' throw the fuel so far laterally. The fluid pressure for also distributing the fuel laterally may be made to operate either both on light or heavy strokes of the piston, oronly on the j light strokes, so that it ofl"sets the decreas'- ing force of the wings or vanes on -light strokes and assists in `distribu'ting the fuel laterally during' such strokes, but is not active on the heav strokes when the wings or vanes act with ull force.

I-f the spring 30 for seating the valve 28 is .a comparatively heavy spring the fluid pressure acts on both light and heavy strokes of the piston, but the spring may be made lighter so that its tension is wholly overcome by the fluid pressure on a heavy stroke,

.which causes' the valve 28. on such a stroke headers I p to move. the full length of the chamber 27 'and seat and close against the inner' end of said Chamber. This causes thel'valve to first open and then almost immediately close when the valve seats at the inner end of the Chamber, so that substantially no fluid pressure. issues from the cross passage 26 on heavy strokes. 'On light piston strokes, however, the -valve 28 only moves part way through the chamber 27 so that the pressure is fully efleotive in distributing the fuel laterally.

The strength of the piston stroke and the distribution of the fuel depend upon 'the'fiuid pressure behind the piston head or the rate of supply of fluid pressure thereto' This is Controlled by the valve mechanism shown in Fig. 5, comprising a hollow casing 32 which may be connected to or continuous with' the casing l. ln the casing 32 is a Chamber 33 in which is slidably mounted a valve member having a stem 34 and two heads 35 each provided with a small through leak port 36. Pressure is supplied to the- Chamber 33 between the heads 35 through a port or opening 37 from which it passes to the passage 15 through two ports or openings, marked 38 and 38L respectively, communicatin with passages leading to the pas- Sage 15. he port 38 is preferably smaller than the port 38a. The outer ends of the chamber 33 are closed by threaded plugs 39 having openings 40 therein, one of said openlngs communicating with a pipe 41 and the other with a pipe 41a. The sliding valve mechanism is normally held in central position by two compress1on Springs 42 located between the plugs 39 and the outer ends of the piston heads 35,` and the tension ofl which Springs may be adjusted by screwing the plugs 39 in or out as required.

Each head' 35 acts as a valve to cover or uncover its port 38 or 38a, and the outward movement of said heads may be Controlled by threaded stops 43 provided with graduated heads 44 coperating with pointers 45 to indicate the position of said stops. By adjusting vthese stops the heads 35 will uncover the ports 38 and 38a more or less and lthus enable the intensity of the 'different strokes of the piston to be varied.

. When the valve stem 34 and heads-move to the left in Fig. 5, the small port or open-' ing 38 is uncovered, which allows pressure s to flow from the inlet 37 to the passage 15 and thence to the fuel injecting piston., but' the fluid pressure supply isrestricted. so

that only a light stroke is produced. When the valve head and stem move in the opposite 4 heavy stroke. e p The movement of the valve stem 34 and Vheads 35 may be;I Controlled or produced in direction, or to the right,"port 38a `'is nncovered, which allows a more rapid supply of fiuidl pressure with a `correspondingly any suitable manner, but preferlztlyfby ufi. f

'balaneing the pressures onthe .outer faces of the two heads, either by diminishing the pressure efi'ective on one head orby increas-` Fig. 8 shows one ing that on the other. arrangement of mechanism suitable for this purpose, said mechanism comprising a hollow casing 47 preferably open to theatmosphere through a port '473, and in which` is located a rotary shaft 48 carrying a worm49 connected'to a worm wheell 50,'the .sh'aft 50a of which is journaled'in one. side of the caing. One side of the casing is provided with an inwardly extending' boss 51 contacting with one side face of the worm wheel 50 and provided with a through bore 51a` communicating with a pipe connected to the space on the outer face of one of the heads' 35, and which may for example be the pipe 41. The other side of the ca'sin 47 is provided lwith a rotatably adjustab e member 52 whose inner end contacts with the other face of the worm wheel 50, and' which I has a passage 52a ther'ethrough communicating with the space on the outside of the other piston head 35, say through the con-` duit 41. with a through passage 53 arranged to regisvter alternately with the passages 51a and 52a and therebyalternately open to exhaust outer faces of the rl`he worm wheel '50 is provided t valve mechanisrn shown in'Fig. 5 lies in cen'- tral or neutral position. Whenever the passage 53 in the worm wheel comes vopp'osite one of the passages v51a or 52a the Chamber on the outside of the corresponding piston head is opened to exhaust, which allows the' A'pressure on theinner face of said head to become effective and niove over the valve,l

thus opening one or the other of the ports 38, 38a to the source of pressure. As soon as the passage 53 moves away-from its open- 'ing the pressure again builds up behind the head 35 and moves the valve mechanism back to normal position. The fuel injecting piston' 8 then returnsv to normal position under the influence of the spring16,thepressure behind said piston 'being exhausted' through a passage 54 in one of'the pistons 35, which communicates in normal position the casing leading to an exhaust opening 55.

'of the valve mechanism'with'a'channel. in f The rotary member 52 is held against its).

face'of the vWOI'm WheelO by a compression i i:

sprmg 56, which produces a tight Seal between saidworm wheel atthe open endsof the boss 51 and member 52 and prevents ex- 'haust'from the chambers of the controlling valve mechanism except when the opening .53 in the worm wheel is opposite the openng in one of said members. As shown -in Fig. 8, the opening in the rotary member 52 is diametrically opposite the opening in the i boss 51, so that successive strokes of the fuel injecting piston are produced at uniform or regular intervals. Member 52, however, is provided With an Operating handle 57 by means of which it may be turned around the axis of the worm Wheel 50 so that the intervals between successive .Operations of the I the valve mechanism which operates the fuel injecting piston is operated by 'a rotary shaft 48, which may be any suitable shaft on the locomotive. It maybe hand-operated or operated by any suitable mechanism, but is especially adapted for connection to a locomotive stoker mechanism operated by a rotary engine. For example, Figs. 6 and 7 show locomotive stoker mechanismV of the same form illustratedvin my prior application referred to, vsaid mechanism being operated by a rotary engine 60 which drives the rotary shaft 48 passing through the casing '17 of the controlling device. Said shaft is connected to a longitudinally extending spiral conveyer 61 which conveys the fuel from the locomotive tender (not shown) to a position beneath two upstanding conduits 63 through' which the fuel is elevated to the fuel inlets 6 of the fuel injecting cylinders 1. The elevating mechanism comprises re- 'ciprocating bars provided with folding vanes, and is operated by a connection 'to thel application, and therefore re shaft 48, in the same manner as in -said prior qulres no further description;

Fig. 9 is a view corresponding to Fig. 7 and showing a different form of locomotive stoker mechanism. In this arrangement the fuel delivered by the longitudial cnveyer extending from the locomotive tender to the engineis elevated to the fuel injecting devices by two spiral conveyers 66 provided with pinions 67 at their lower ends, both of 'which -are operated by a reciprocating rack 68 connected to a piston rod 69, the piston 70 of which is reciprocated back and forth in a cylinder 71 in the usual manner, by alternately' admitting fluid pressure to opposite conduit, such as the conduit .41,

wenera ends of said cylinder and exhausting it therefrom, through p'orts 70a and 70b at the ends of said cylinder. Thiscylinder is provided intermediate its ends with two side ports or openings, marked 72 and 73 respectively, port 72 being connected b a suitable the chamber behind'one head35 of the conig. 5, Wah

trolling valve mechanism, the other port or opening 73 being similarly. connected by the conduit 41a With the. chamber behind the other head. i

The controlling Valve mechanism of Fig;

ing it, as in the form before described'. As-

suming the piston 70 is at one end of its stroke, say at the extreme left in Fig. 10, both heads 35 of the valve mechanism are subject on their outer faces to the same pressure, that is, to atmospheric pressure, because the space to the right of the piston 70 is open to exhaust. Pressure is-admitted on the 'left-hand side of the iston 70 which forces it to the right. hen the iston passes the port 72 a full supplyT o fluid pressure fiows through the port'72 and conduit 41 and becomes effective on the outer face of the left-hand head 35 of lthe valve mechanism, consequently movingsaid valve mechanism to the right in Fig. 5 and openinlg the port 38a to the pressure sup ly 37, w ich produces a heavy stroke' of the uel injecting piston. As soon as the piston has passed the port 73 pressure is also admitted to the chamber on the outside of the righthandpiston 35 in Fig. 5, so that the pressures -on the two heads 35 are equalized.. f

Consequently, the valve mechanism returns to neutral or central position and the fuel injecting piston is retracted by its spring 16. VVhen the piston moves to the left in Fig. 10 pressure is first admitted through the port 73 to the space behind the right-hand head 35, which moves the valve mechanism to the -left in' Fig. 5 and opens the port 38 to the accurate distribution of the fuel in accordance With the demands of the fire box, and especially the demands of different portions of the fire bed therein. It-enables the fuel to be distributed very evenly over the entire fire box or larger proportionsof fuel tp be placed on different portions of the fire therein. A11 adj ustments to vary the supply neeeme the fuel'to difierent parts of the firebox can be lmadefwhile 'the entire mechanism is Operating, so that. the fireman can watch carefully the progress of the fire and make whatever, adjustment is necessary to keep a uniform fire overv the entire area of the fire box. The fuel` injecting pistons may be made to 'operate with strokes of varyng intensity so as to throw a part of the fuel clear to the inner end of the fire box and deliver a part in the front portion near the fire door. .The laterally movable vanes or wings and the lateral jets of fluid pressure also enable the fuel to be thrown' to theextreme sides of the fire box, so that all of the fuel is not.

packed or arched in the center' with liability of caking, crusting or coking. I What I 'claim'isz 1. Fuel injecting mechanism for automatic stokers, comprising a cylinder, a fuelinjecting plunger therein, automatic means for regulating the intensity'ofithe'plunger' strokes, and means for varymg the relatve time interval between the strokes of difl'erent intensityf 2. Fuel injecting` mechanism for automatic stokers, comprising' a cylinder, a fluid pressure advanced fuel-injecting plunger 'therein, automatically acting valve mechanism for varying` the supply of fluid pressure to said cylinder to regulate the intensity of the plunger strolres, and means for regulating the relatve time interval between the strokes of varying intensity.

3. Fuel injecting mechanism for automatic stokers, comprising a cylinder, a fluid pressure advanced fuel-injecting plung'er therein, automatic means for supplying different degrees of pressure to said cylinder to vary the efi'ect of the alternate plunger strokes; and means for regulating the relay tive time interval 'i between the alternate plunger ,strokea 4. Fuel| 'njecting mechanism -for auto: matic stokers, comprising' a cylinder,'a fuelinjecting` plunger therein, means for supplying motive fluid to said cylinder for operating the plunger, automatically acting'valve mechanism for controlling the fluid pressure supply to varylthe intensity of the alternate strokes of the piston, and means for varying the relative time interval between the alternate strokes.

5. Fuel injecting mechanism for automatic stokers, comprising' a cylinder, a fuelinj'ecting' plunger therein, means for supplying motive fiuid tosaid cylinder to operate the plunger in one direction, yielding' means for movingsaid plunger in the opposite directin, automatically acting valve mechanism for controlling the supply of motive fiuid to the cylinder so as to cause the alternate forward movements of the plunger to very in intensity, and means for varying the relative time interval between the alternate forward strokes of the plunger..

6. Fuel injecting mechanism for automatic stokers, com risin V pressure advanced fuel-injecting plun er therein, automatically' acting. valve mec anism for controlling theI supply of motive fiuid to the plunger to cause the alternate strokes of the plunger to vary in intensity, and means for controlling the valve mechanism for Varying the relative time interval between the alternate strokes of the plunger.

7. Fuel injecting' mechanism for automatic stokers, comrising a cylinder, a fluid i pressure advance fuel-injecting plunger therein, a fluid pressure operated valve mechanism for controlling the supply-of motive fiuid to said plunger so as, to produce alternate strokes of varying intensity, and means for controlling the supply of motive fluid to said valve mechanism and arranged to vary the relative time interval betweenthe strokes of varying' intensity.

8. In a `stoker, in combination, a fluid pressure' advanced fuel injecting plunger, a valve for controlling the application of pressure to the plunger, and means for automaticallyshifting'the valve to apply such pressure alternately at higher and lower intensity and at alternately longer and shorter intervals.

9. ln a stoker, in combination, a fluid a cylinder, a fluid pressure-advanced fuel injecting plunger, a i

valve for controlling the application of pressure to the plunger, and automatic means'for shifting the valve at alternately longer and shorter intervals.

10.v In a stoker, in combination, a fluid-pressure advanced fuel inj ecting plunger, a fluidactuated valve controlling' the application of pressure to the plunger, and means for applying shifting pressure to the valve at alternately longer and shorter intervals,

11. ln a stoker, in combination, a fluid-pressure advanced fuel injectng plunger, a fluidactuated valve controlling the application of pressure to the plunger and arranged to admit such pressure at varying' degrees of in-`v tensity, and a rotative valve for admitting i pressure to actuate the controlling valve and two' difl'erential ports for admitting pressure to the plunger, valve mechanism controlling such ports, and meansfor shifting the valve mechanism to open such ports alternately and at alternately longer and shorter intervals.

14. In a stoker, in combination, a fluidpressure advanced 'fuel injecting plunger, two difl'erential po'rts for admitting pressure to thel plunger, valve mechanism controlling such ports, and a rotative valve controlling fluid-pressure for shifting the valve mechanism to open such ports alternately.

15. In a stoker, in combination, a fluidpressure advanced fuel injecting plunger,

'two diiferential ports for admitting pressure to the plunger, valve mech'anism controlling such ports, and a rotative valve controlling fiuid-pressure for shiftinglthe valve mechanism to open such ports alternately and at alternately longer and shorter intervals.

16. -In a stoker, in combination, a fluidpressure advanced fuel injecting plunger, a valve casing having diferential ports for admitting pressure` to the plunger, a ba1-' anced valve movable in opposite directions to open such ports respectively, and means for unbalancing the valve and arranged to Shift said valve alternately in opposite directions.

17. In a stoker, in combination, a fluidpressure advanced fuel injecting plunger, a

valve casing having differential ports for admitting pressure to the plunger, a balanced valve movable in opposite directions to open such ports respectively, and means for unbalancing the valve and arranged to Shift said valve alternately in opposite directions and at alternately longer and shorter intervals. i

l8. In a stoker, in combination, a fluidpressure advancedfuel injecting plunger, a valve casing, difierential ports for admitting pressure to the plunger, a valve having an induction-cavity intermediate its ends and arranged to register With such ports in alternation by movements in opposite' directions, pressure' chambers at each end of the valve, and' a rotary valve for varying the pressure'in such chambers alternately.

19. In a stoker, in combination, a fluidpressure advanced'fuel injecting plunger, a valve casing, diferential ports 'for admitting pressure to the plunger, a valve having an induction cavity intermediate its` ends' and arranged to register With such ports in' alternation by movements in opposite directions, pressure chambers 'at each end of the valve, and a rotary valve for varying the pressure in such chambers alternately and at alternately longer and shorter intervals.

20. In a stoker, in combination, a fluidpressure advanced lfuel injecting plunger, two difi'erential ports for admitting pressure to the plunger, valve mechanism controlling such' ports, means for ad'ustabl'y varying the range of movement of t e valve' mechanism, and means for shifting the valve mechanism to open such ports alternately. V

21. `In a stoker mechanism, in combination, a fuel injecting means Operating intermittently With varying intensity, mechanism for feeding fuel to said means, and

mechanism for varying the periods between the successive actions of said injecting means independentlyof the rate offuel sup- CLYDE V. MoCUnDY, T'nios. CARMER. 

